The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-06
LINCOLN AND STANTON.
A Dance at Midnight How Old Abe
Received the News from
Gettysburg.

One evening at crowded party given
by Senator Dixon was forced by the
press into a corner, and on looking
around found my next neighbor was
Secretary Stanton. By and by Dixon
came along and spying US said: "Stan-
ton, tell him the scene between old Abe
and you the night of the Battle of Get
tysburg." Stantop then related the fol-
lowing:
Mr.. Lincoln had been excessively
solicItous about the results of that bat
tie. 1t was known that Lee had crossed
into Pennsylvania, threatening Wash
ington, and that battle had been joined
near Gettysburg, upon which in all
probability the fate of Washington
and the issue of the war depended.
The telegraphic wires ran into the War
Depart ment, and dispatches had been
received of the first days fight which
showed how desperate was the attack,
the StubbOrness of the defense, and tDat
the result was indeciSiYe. All that day
and the next Mr.. Lincoln was in an
agony CT anxiety, running over, as was
his wont, to the War Office TO ascertain
for himself the latest news instead of
waiting for the reports to be sent to him
by his subordinateS. Then came long
interval when nothing was heard from
Meade. and the President was wrought
up TO an intense pitch of excitement.
Night came on, and Stanton. seeing the
President worn out with care and
anxiety persuaded him to return to the
White House, promising if anything
came over the wires during the night
to give him immediate information.
Atlast, toward midnight, came the
electric flash of that great victory which
saved the ULion.
Stanton seized the dispatch and ran
as fast as he could to thelExecutive Man.
sion, up the stairs, and knocked at the
room where the President was catching
a fitful slumber. Who is there?" he
heard in the voice of Mr.. Lincoln.
Stanton" The door was opened and
Mr.. Lincoln appeared with light in
his hands peering through the door,
lin the shortest Qightdress and longest |
legs" as StantoI Bald, he ever saw on
a human being. Before Stanton, who |
was out of breath, could say a word |!
the President, who had caught with |
unerring instinct the expression of his |
face, gave shout of eXultation, grabbed |
him with both arms around the waist, |
and danced hIm around the chamber |
until thew were both exhausted. They |
then sat down upon a trunk, and the |
President, who was still in his night
dress, read over and over again the |
telegram, and then discussed with him |
Responsibilities of the future and the |
results of the victory until the day
daWned.
Such scene at midnight between |
two of the greatest Americans whom
this generation had produced, to whom
all-wise Providence had committed in
largest measure the fate of Republican
liberty in the Western world, may not
4 subject for the Hottest conceptions of
he poet or the painter, but more than
any other incident within my knowledge
t shows the human nature of these TWO
great men, and brings them home to
he hearts and hearthStones of the
)lain people of whom Mr.. Lincoln was
IN whom he depended, and whom he
owed. 1t shows him brooding all
through those three awful days, with
N anxiety akin to agony which no one
ould share-worn and weary with the
ong and doubtful conflict between
hope and fear treading the wine-press
or his people alone. And at last when
he lightning fash had lifted the dark
loud, dancing like schoolboy in the
ecstasy of delight and exhibiting a
ouch of that human nature which
makes all the world akin n
As l look back over the intervening ;
ears to the great men and great events
It those historic days his figure rises
'etore my memory the grandest and
nd most majestic of them all. There ;
Tere giants in those days, but he tow |
red above them like Popocatepetl or {
)himborazo. He was greatin character, |
q intellect, in wisdom, in tact, in coun-
IL. in speech, in heart, in person-in
yerything.-From an article by the
Ion. a. A. BfandeJee in the New York
ribune.